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What Does Continuously Clean, Clear Water Mean at This Point?

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My new Marineland 60 gallon goldfish setup has been running for well over a month now, dosed with Seachem Stability to kick-start the cycle, treated with Prime and then introduced with the four fancies I had in a 10 gallon; I didn't really take many parameter readings via the API Freshwater Master Kit during this period, as I simply followed the Stability instructions of keeping to the seven-day treatment (during which time any aquatic life could be added with no dangers, according to Seachem, so long as it's followed to the seventh day) and did water changes as much as I could (the fish were added two days after the tank was up and running, with two full days of Stability in there to kind of "prep" it for them)...

Once the seven days were over, I kept to the daily water change schedule (50% pretty much each week) with, sometimes, a few mid-week changes just to maintain the super-clean water...the fish have been absolutely fine, and the water ALWAYS smells clean, "freshly cut lawn"-like and "Earthy"...

Here's the thing though: After a month in, I have yet to experience ANY bacterial bloom or cloudy water...is this normal? The water is always clear and I am beginning to wonder if I have even begun going into a cycle yet -- I realize this is pretty much useless without parameter readings, in terms of sharing these events, but as I said, I have been keeping up with the water changes (with the fish-in), dosing with Prime each time of course, and so I wanted some feedback or insight from you knowledgeable folk...

Is it normal NOT to experience ANY bacterial bloom or cloudy water? I know what we're after is pristine, transparent-looking water, but is it normal for this to be continuing for so long now with a brand-new setup?

Actually, this doesn't surprise me in the least. First, you chose to use fine quality top rated products to begin with. Second, you are keeping to a good water change schedule and keeping the tank clean.

Actually, this doesn't surprise me in the least. First, you chose to use fine quality top rated products to begin with. Second, you are keeping to a good water change schedule and keeping the tank clean.

Not surprised at all.

Hi Tiari,

And thank you, as always!

Indeed, I'm keeping an even stricter water change schedule over the past couple of days due to the fact my Black (now Gold) Moor seemed to have developed a sort of pimple-like formation beneath one of her forward fins that has appeared to have "burst" or simply gone away since doing DAILY small water changes to keep the water super-pristine; I didn't want to add any kind of medication even if this was what I suspected to be a bacterial infection of some kind (as I said, though, the "sore" has gone away as quickly as it came, oddly)...

But I suppose what's bothering me is the fact that I didn't even get a bacterial bloom or any cloudy water, save for maybe a period when I was using the Stability (which was totally normal, I suppose, because this is introducing a type of bacteria to the water column) -- and that the clean, clear water continues now...does this mean a cycle never even happened? Or, as I have been getting feedback on via other forums, does it mean nothing as sometimes bacterial blooms don't even have to occur?

The only real way to tell if the tank cycled is to get a test kit of some kind and check the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. If ammonia and nitrite are 0 then you've got a cycled tank. Based on your information though it seems like you have a cycled tank as the gold fish probably would have either died by now or be showing signs of tons of stress.

The only real way to tell if the tank cycled is to get a test kit of some kind and check the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. If ammonia and nitrite are 0 then you've got a cycled tank. Based on your information though it seems like you have a cycled tank as the gold fish probably would have either died by now or be showing signs of tons of stress.

Thanks Limming...

Indeed, the fish are doing, believe it or not, just fine; fluorishing and growing and not showing signs of any stress...and I do indeed have the API Master Freshwater Kit for testing...I just haven't really done many parameter readings because, as I have said, I have been doing not only weekly 50% water changes but multiple smaller ones during the week, especially so now because one of the goldfish showed signs of a "pimple-like" growth that came out from beneath her but which disappeared just as quickly when I started doing daily small water changes to keep the water conditions super-pristine...

I was just concerned with the fact that I haven't seen ANY cloudy water yet nor got a bacterial bloom...